DIY heater radiator repair

In detail: DIY repair of a heater radiator from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

The heater radiator flowed and it was decided not to change, but still try to repair the old one. The initial opinion that the drip of the radiator itself was dispelled after parsing turned out to be burst plastic tank.

I decided to try to do this too. I straightened the aluminum and removed the tank, the crack turned out to be very large in length.

I scraped the crack with a triangular file, smeared the done deal with two-component glue, although I had to use glue for metal. it was he who was bought to seal the radiator, but it turned out that the plastic failed. Then he squeezed this whole thing with a clamp and left it for a day.

In the meantime, I decided to clean the radiator and took out the screw tapes from the honeycomb. Half of the honeycomb was clogged and had to be cleaned with some kind of ramrod.

I installed the tapes in place and a day later began the process of assembling the tank with a radiator.

I chose aquarium silicone for gluing the tank. strong to tear and withstands high temperatures. He smeared, connected and pulled off with duct tape to create constant pressure, and left in this state overnight.

A day later, I installed the radiator in place.

I have already covered 700 km. does not flow, heats up perfectly, dry and comfortable. Antifreeze is in place.

This article was contributed by Pavlo Dubina, many thanks to him for that!

If a car's radiator leaks, then most of us resort to replacing it. However, in most cases it is possible not to change, but to repair the radiator. Sometimes no skills are required, but sometimes it is impossible to do without knowledge in the field of welding or soldering. We learn to determine the condition and try to restore the radiator with our own hands.

The most common problem is when the radiator leaks due to old age. Coolant (coolant) runs out of the joints between metal and plastic, which automatically leads to overheating of the engine. It is not always possible to find a replacement radiator, and repairs will cost at least 2 times cheaper than a new one.

Further we will talk about car radiators in general and it does not matter if it is a repair of a heater radiator, an air conditioner radiator or a radiator of the engine cooling system.

Repair of a radiator with chemistry. Minor damages can be repaired with special products known on the market as radiator refurbishing fluid, radiator sealant, or powder reductants. The principle of operation is approximately the same: pour the radiator reductant into the engine cooling system (SOD). The resulting mixture will seal cracks when exposed to air.

Chemistry is different from chemistry, therefore, it is impossible to answer for the quality of such a method as a whole. For example, a low-quality reductant may not help, but, on the contrary, harm it by clogging up the entire SOD. For example, the stove will stop heating and it will be necessary to flush the SOD or change the radiator of the stove. Better chemistry is able to eliminate radiator leakage only for a while (from several days to several months). Thus, chemistry for repairing a radiator is only a temporary solution to the problem.

Video (click to play).

There is a popular method for repairing radiators. It consists in patching holes using cold welding (a material similar to plasticine, which hardens after use). It is better to close up a small hole in the radiator after degreasing the work surface well. If the hole in the radiator is large, then you can use a piece of tin as a patch, which is again glued with cold welding.

We repair the radiator honeycomb with a mixture of epoxy resin and hardener.Degrease and pour the substance into the damaged honeycomb and level it with a spatula. Now the holes in the radiator are 100% sealed.
In general, the folk method involves the use of many materials for sealing, I just showed the main ones. Whether this approach can be called a high-quality radiator repair, decide for yourself.

The following instruction assumes knowledge of basic welding and soldering skills.
To repair the radiator permanently, it must be removed, but before that, the coolant must be drained from it (described in detail in the article on cleaning the radiator). Now that the radiator is dismantled, we can determine its condition, whether the radiator can be repaired or replaced with a new one.

Repair the radiator by soldering. We clean the place that will be restored well and solder a piece of sheet brass (brass radiators). Here you need to resort to using a gas torch and a soldering iron.

If the radiator tubes are cracked, then it is better to replace them with new ones. We heat the solder until it becomes soft and take the tube out of the tank. In its place we solder a new one. The disadvantage of this method is the effect of high temperatures on the elements of the radiator, which leads to its internal deformation. Therefore, it is better to use argon arc welding (argon welding).

Repair of a radiator with argon welding. The filler material here is a special welded aluminum wire. Special equipment is indispensable here. It should be noted that places treated with argon will be protected from oxidation.
Repair of a radiator using gas-dynamic spraying. When a special powder is accelerated along the inside of the radiator at a very high speed, a 1-1.5mm thick coating forms on the damaged surface. It makes no sense to describe these two methods, because they cannot be done at home.

There are various ways to repair a car radiator, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. In one case, there will be a short-term repair of the radiator, and in the other for a long time. If you doubt your abilities, then it is better to entrust the mission of restoring the radiator to specialists and argon welding. They will not only repair, but immediately clean the radiator and, if desired, install a brass tank.

If the radiator is damaged after a frontal collision of the car, then repairs will cost a pretty penny. It is more correct in this case to buy a new high-quality radiator.

I want to tell a story that radiator repair heater DIY LIQUI MOLY possible even for me, for a woman - a driver.

It all started when I found a puddle of water on my floor mat on the side of the driver's seat on Kalina. Due to the fact that it was dry outside, this alarmed me. I asked a colleague at work - what could it be and received an answer that the stove was leaking and I had to go to the service station.

Arriving at the workshop, I was "pleasantly surprised" by the fact that replacing the stove would cost 7 thousand rubles and it was necessary buy a radiator heater for another 1,000 rubles. The fact is, in order to replace the stove on Kalina, you need to disassemble half of the car: remove the steering wheel, front seats and the dashboard. In terms of time, this work takes a whole day. I thought that they were just trying to deceive me, did not believe that replacing the stove could cost 7 times more than the heating radiator itself. I refused to repair it. I decided to study this issue on the Internet.

On the way home, I stopped at Auchan for groceries and went to the automotive department, where I bought this cooling system sealant after talking with the seller. It is versatile and, despite its name, is suitable for both a cooling radiator and heating.

The order of application is written on the bottle itself: in fact, you need to warm up the engine and pour it into a barrel with coolant, and then let the engine run for 15 minutes.I used half of the product, since the entire volume is designed for 10 liters of antifreeze. On the second day, the rug is dry and the oven no longer leaks. I have been driving for a month and so far everything is fine. And replacing a heater radiator - a stove, is really very expensive. I think that soon car radiator repair - stove and cooling does not threaten me.

Cars change, friends and the forum remain. [my.housecope.com/wp-content/uploads/ext/1209]

Bongo. Heating, cooling, air conditioning, gas intake and exhaust systems ⇒ Repair of the aluminum radiator of the stove

Message Raging Nissan »07 Oct 2014, 11:32

Hello, I was tormented by a problem for a long time, it was slowly dripping from the stove, I decided to remove, check and repair it if possible, disassembled the entire torpedo, removed the radiator, after removal it was confirmed that it was aluminum with plastic tanks and could not be repaired, it is not realistic to get a replacement in our city ... I began to think what to do with him. the design of the radiator is as follows: aluminum tubes are inserted into plastic tanks, the tightness is provided by something like rubber or, most likely, it is a sealant, each tube is coated with it and inserted into the body. Initially, there was an idea to remove these tanks, replace the sealant and assemble, but nothing came of it, the sealant did not soften from heating and it was not possible to disassemble it. Spreading a sealant over the old one is not an option, there is no access, and there is little sense, and then I came across a sealant for Khaigir tires

like this, I think anyone will do and the idea came up to try it, since, in principle, there was nothing to lose.
So, the actual repair, washed the radiator inside and out, took (bought) two nipples with nipples for a tubeless wheel

,
their thick part ideally fits in diameter to the holes in the radiator of the stove, in general, we plug our radiator with nipples and pump it with sealant, I pumped it through one, and bleed it through the other to fill the internal volume more completely, when the internal pressure began to rise, I heard a hiss, the air came out from several places where there was a leak. I turned and twisted the radiator several times in the process, so that the sealant got to the leak, after a few minutes the hissing stopped, to be sure, left it for several hours, then gently bleed off the pressure, took out the nipples and rinsed the radiator with water. in liquid form, it is easily washed off with water, then left to dry until morning (just in case)
Bottom line: I have been using it for two months already, the flight is normal, the antifreeze is in place, I did not write before, since it was not clear how long such a repair would last

Tips for those who decide to repeat
the nipples must be additionally secured with something like a wire or a plastic tie, since it seems to be inserted tightly, but I squeezed them out with a loud pop and flew away 10 meters, so be careful, it shoots great))
if I didn't need to wash the radiator, I can not even remove it from the car, unscrew the tubes and carry out the entire procedure on the spot, without removing the front panel
you do not need to pour out the entire cylinder, the volume of the stove is small, about 1/3 of the cylinder is enough, the pressure in the cylinder is high enough, I was afraid whether the radiator would withstand so do not overdo it))

If car radiator leakingthen most of us resort to replacing it. However, in most cases it is possible not to change, but repair radiator... Sometimes no skills are required, but sometimes it is impossible to do without knowledge in the field of welding or soldering. We learn to define the state and try restore the radiator with your own hands.

The most common problem when, due to old age, appears radiator leak... Coolant (coolant) runs out of the joints between metal and plastic, which automatically leads to overheating of the engine. It is not always possible to find a replacement radiator, and repairs will cost at least 2 times cheaper than a new one.

Hello everyone! My name is Mikhail, now I'll tell you a story about how I managed to exchange a dvenashka for a 2010 Camry. It all started with the fact that I was wildly annoyed by the breakdowns of the two, like nothing serious broke down, but the little things, damn it, so many things that really started to enrage. Here the idea was born that it was time to change the car to a foreign car. The choice fell on the tayet Camry of the tenths.

Further speech will be about car radiators in general and it does not matter if it is a repair of a heater radiator, an air conditioner radiator or a radiator of the engine cooling system.

Chemistry radiator repair... Minor damages can be repaired with special products known on the market as radiator refurbishing fluid, radiator sealant, or powder reductants. The principle of operation is approximately the same: pour the radiator reductant into the engine cooling system (SOD). The resulting mixture will seal cracks when exposed to air.

Attention! Car service network of favorable prices. Camber check is FREE! No queues! Repair on the same day!

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The heater radiator should be replaced in case of coolant leaks, since it is not subject to repair, unless it is, of course, copper.

Despite the fact that it is "in principle" possible, we advise you not to waste time and money on such repairs, since this process is very laborious.

A copper radiator is much easier to solder, but this will require a powerful electric soldering iron, high-quality solder and good room ventilation if soldering is carried out at home.

We drain the liquid from the engine cooling system. Then we disconnect the hoses from the heater radiator pipes and remove the seal. Remove the stove fan cover.

Replacing the heater radiator VAZ 2101-2107

1) We take out the radiator from its casing.

2) Use the key "10" to unscrew the two bolts ...

3)… and remove the radiator outlet pipe with a gasket.

We remove the heater tap. Installation of a new heater radiator is carried out in the reverse order of removal.

At the same time, we carefully coat the connections of the coolant supply hoses with the heater radiator pipes with sealant. We replace the standard clamps with worm gear, they better crimp the hoses and seal the connections.

We recommend installing copper radiator, since it is versatile, maintainable and has a greater heat transfer than aluminum.

You have probably heard the proverb more than once: "In the car - Tashkent" or "stove - Tashkent". So, by installing a copper heater radiator, you will get a very warm car. People of the age still remember those Soviet times ... but legends still circulate about the smoothness and warmth of the interior in the VAZ 2106 car.

Some owners of old Zhiguli may have problems when replacing a radiator. When installed, a new aluminum radiator may simply not "fit" into the stove body. The difference in the buildings (01, 05) is quite small, but it is present, so pay special attention to this fact. Before buying, ask the seller about the dimensions of the radiator, or better, bring the old one and compare them on the spot.

Read also: DIY blender mulinex repair

In order not to miscalculate, take a copper radiator. It is versatile and fits all models.

In Moscow and the Moscow region, a new aluminum stove radiator for a VAZ 2101-2107 costs about 500 rubles. The price of copper is naturally more expensive and amounts to approximately 1200-1400 rubles.

From the firms that produce heater radiators for the "classics", we advise you to choose domestic ones (aluminum - DAAZ and copper - Orenburg). Judging by the reviews of motorists, the scales also tend to favor the choice of Russian radiators, their quality is not inferior to foreign counterparts (United Kingdom, Germany), and prices are practically in the same range.

If the stove has stopped heating in your car, then you can fix the malfunction with your own hands. There can be several reasons why heat does not enter the car interior. In this article, we'll look at the most common ones.

A common malfunction that entails costly and difficult repairs is a leak in the cooling system.Depressurization is not difficult to detect. First of all, this is manifested in a constant decrease in the coolant level.

In the event of such a problem, it is necessary, with the help of an overpass or inspection pit, to inspect all the components of the cooling system: pipes, a cooling radiator, thermostat tightness. If these elements are subject to severe wear or mechanical damage, then air enters the cooling system, thereby breaking its tightness.

In turn, air is the cause of the stove's failure. The most effective way in this case is the replacement or high-quality repair of the radiator. As for the branch pipes, by installing new ones, you will forget about the problem for 100,000 km or more.

Some car owners try to fix the leaks in the cooling system using special fluids sold at car dealerships. The danger of using these means is the blockage of the thin radiator tubes.Another common way to break a stove is to use two incompatible coolants. This phenomenon occurs when car owners add a liquid with a different chemical composition to the one already poured into the cooling system. As a result, coagulation (coagulation) of particles of two incompatible liquids occurs and a sticky mass is formed, which seals and clogs the channels of the cooling system.Repair in this case is difficult. To eliminate the "blockage" of the tubes, you can use special flushing fluids. And the most effective remedy is caustic soda solution, which has an excellent dissolving effect. The main thing, after such cleaning, is to thoroughly rinse the system with cold water. You can also fix the problem by flushing the stove radiator, while disconnecting the external hoses. In case of a negative result, you will have to replace the stove radiator.

At first glance, it may seem that the difference is only in the method of rolling, but this is not so. Without going into the intricacies of the process, I note that the type of gasket used between the reservoir and the bottom of the radiator (mesh, see the heading "vote") imposes some restrictions, or, in other words, entails the use of a certain type of rolling. When we have dealt with rolling, let's move on to considering the types of cores.

They are divided into the so-called prefabricated, (or typesetting), and solid-soldered . Typesetting radiators are usually based on round tubes with a diameter of 6-10 millimeters, and dialed heatsink plates, which are not soldered to the tubes, but simply put on like meat on a shish kebab, and fit snugly against them . The advantage of this design is its low cost, since almost all work is performed mechanically, without the use of welding. But still there is one type of type-setting radiators in which the tubes are not rolled through rubber gaskets to a steel mesh, but are soldered to an aluminum mesh, but more on that later ) ... To such radiators, in 99 out of 100 percent of cases, tanks are attached by toothed rolling, of one kind or another.

The next type of radiator cores are solid-soldered

Such radiators are quite difficult to manufacture, and, therefore, they are much more expensive than type-setting ones. The essence of the core is that it is collected in the same way as copper (corrugation + tubes + mesh), but then it is sent to a special furnace, with a strictly defined temperature and an inert gas medium for sintering. After the core is ready, plastic tanks are attached to it, and often by wave rolling. Of course, in nature there are also combinations of the above options, but I have listed the classics so to speak.

As if completely aluminum radiators stand apart, that is, in them both tanks and cores are made of aluminum. The cores of such radiators are always made according to the all-brazed technology.

But oddly enough, not a single cooling radiator from a large manufacturer uses such a technology, since the tanks can take as much material as the core itself. The only exceptions are American, exclusive radiators, which are made under the order of the capricious owner of the "dredge" or the restored "old-fashioned". The address of one of these manufacturers can be found in the heading "Addresses of manufacturers' plants"

In our country, a similar technology is found either in stove radiators of some manufacturers (for example, Daewoo Lanos, Nubira), or in radiators of a frankly domestic or Chinese manufacturer. But the last two cases, although they are cheaper than the copper-brass version, but the quality of their design and assembly is completely copied from the brass versions, and will inherit all the "congenital" defects. In addition to all that has been said, we can also mention aluminum stoves, the tanks of which are not welded to the mesh, as it should be, but glued, and even with the help of glue, which is dangerous to apply even to a garden watering can, not like to a heater radiator.

In short, in order to produce a high-quality aluminum radiator, which, in addition to sufficient heat dissipation, will still withstand hydrodynamic and mechanical loads for a long time, you need careful design and the use of sophisticated equipment during their assembly.And this, in turn, will raise the price of the final product, which will automatically transfer it from the category of forwards in comparison with the "copper" sample, to the category of expensive outsiders. Indeed, for example, in a GAZelle car, on our roads, a brass radiator rarely takes care of 30,000 km without problems, which is about a year with a daily load of 100 kilometers. After a major overhaul of the radiator, its lifespan, in comparison with the factory one, can be doubled, but now imagine that doing this with an aluminum analogue is not so easy, and most importantly, not so profitable from an economic point of view. There is something to think about, is it worth saving when choosing between a brass and aluminum radiator?

Usually, craftsmen call radiators and stoves exotic, which are very rare. Alternatively, we can cite as an example the heater radiator of the 1992 Opel Omega car, which consists of completely plastic tanks and a mesh (bottom), which are made as a monolith, and are connected to a type-setting core with oval tubes with a welded-in turbulator. In addition to this example, there are also a few rare modifications, but this, I repeat again, is rare. It is worth noting that the more exotic the radiator is installed in your car, the more difficult it is for the masters to repair it, and not only because of the complexity of combining various composites, but also for the reason that the experience of some masters simply does not allow applying the correct and a proven way to repair it. In a word, a master with little experience will make repairs at random, along the way comprehending the intricacies of repairs, in a word, training on your radiator, stuffing bumps.

As mentioned above, plastic radiator tanks reduce the cost and lighten the weight of the structure. But let's make a reservation right away that it is not entirely correct to use the term "plastic" when talking about radiator tanks, since they are based on polypropylene, and no one will disclose the rest of the impurities and additives, since survival in a competitive environment depends on it. There are fillers, and fiberglass reinforcement, and similar tricks. Over time, the plastic tanks dry up, that is, the base of the plastic changes under the influence of a constant temperature difference (heating-cooling) and they, becoming brittle, leak. In such a case, the ideal option would be to replace the radiator with a new one, since replacing the tank (a donor from a similar brand or metal) is not always cost-effective, besides, the "donor" will be the same "dry". But in some cases, when it comes to exclusive radiators, there is nothing else to do but repair cracks in the tank, but then another question arises - which repair method to choose?

There are at least three of them: the first is replacing the tank with a metal one, which is soldered or welded in place of the plastic one; the second is soldering the tank with plastic; the third is the use of special polymers.

The first option is the most reliable, but also the most expensive, and the question of the second tank remains open (after all, there are two of them in the radiator, upper and lower, or right and left). If you change both tanks, the price will be such that it is easier to order a new, original radiator via the Internet, and all the promises of the masters, they say, the radiator will become eternal, it is advisable to ignore it, since the aluminum part of the radiator also has its own resource, which decreases along with the resource plastic cisterns. The high cost of such tanks is due to the fact that they are not produced by the master himself, but by a large plant, such as an aircraft plant (KhAZ or Antonov Design Bureau in Kiev), and the master only welds it in using argon welding.

The second and third options are more acceptable, since with a skillful approach, soldering of plastic and using polymers is both faster and cheaper, and when using an already very old radiator, it will allow you to "turn over" until you get a new radiator without huge investments.But it is worth mentioning that in some cases it is even dangerous to solder the complex composition of polypropylene, it can become even more fragile at the soldering point (and the chemical analysis is done by eye by the craftsmen). For this reason, in almost all cases we use industrial German polymers, which have a very wide range of operating temperatures and at the same time retain good strength, and their adhesive properties are superior to domestic industrial analogs.

In addition to everything, there is one more, fourth solution to the problem - a selection of a copper radiator from a domestic car. For example, not so long ago we completed an order for the alteration of a VAZ 2101 radiator for a BMW 318 (1985), and a GAZelle radiator for a Ford Transit (1993), it turned out both reliably and inexpensively, in relation to replacing both tanks with metal or to the purchase of an original radiator, the price of which would be almost two and a half times more expensive.

Repairing aluminum honeycombs directly has always caused a huge headache, both for the owners of current radiators and those who tried to repair them. The main reason can be considered both in some cases a complex and practically unrepairable design, and very thin metal in those radiators that do not have "frankly weak points" in their design. But let's start in order.

The first type of radiators that I will present is a type-setting radiator, which, as I said above, is inexpensive, and its QUALITY repair requires very high costs, although it can be done by professionals. Such a radiator consists of a honeycomb part, which, by the way, if it fails first, then very rarely, basically, the rubber connection fails first. Round aluminum honeycombs are attached by rolling to the mesh, through a rubber gasket, which is elastic at the beginning of the life of the radiator

But this is only at the beginning, and only when using good antifreeze, then it turns into a terrible sight like the one in the picture. The resource of an original German radiator of this type, operated on high-quality antifreeze, is approximately 10-15 years (sometimes longer), the resource of a Soviet radiator with the same conditions is 8-10 years (and more), the resource of a Chinese and modern radiator is sometimes from 15 minutes up to a couple of years.

If soldering the central part of such a radiator (well, punched it with a screwdriver, or rubbed it) is possible with the help of special solders, then it is practically impossible to repair the "sinister connection" with high quality and profitable for both parties. At one time, we developed a material that allows soldering aluminum honeycombs to a steel mesh, but, of course, using it in repairs, for example, of VAZ-2108 radiators, is unprofitable, this method is only good when repairing radiators of "foreign cars", the price and, in some cases of which "rarity" allows this repair to surprise our competitors.

Why surprise? Because in 99.9 percent, our competitors are trying to put a "sinister" connection on a sealant, and if we consider that we can still replace the plastic tank with a metal one, then the benefits of such an event will become more than obvious. I often have to receive e - mail requests to share a secret, but, unfortunately, whether you are from Tyumen or from Dnepropetrovsk, I cannot share a secret, we do not need competition.

Solid-brazed radiators, this is a more advanced product, so to speak, which requires more advanced and expensive repair intervention. Since an all-brazed radiator is difficult to find in a budget version of cars (for example, Daewoo Lanos uses an all-brazed version, while Daewoo Sens is type-set), a slightly higher repair price almost always justifies itself.The difficulty of soldering, for example, corner packs of honeycombs is due to the fact that different metal thicknesses (thin honeycombs + thick mesh "bottom") will not allow a master, even a well-versed burner, to melt the solder, whose temperature often reaches 550-600 degrees, and at the same time does not damage the plastic tank. It is also impractical to remove the tank for this, since in this case it is possible to break the factory connection, while an alternative remains a high-quality polymer or photopolymer (solidifying under the light of an ultraviolet lamp). When working with solid-brazed radiators, we almost always use high-quality German industrial polymers, which allow us to achieve high quality at moderate material costs.

Video (click to play).

Summing up the article, I would like to note that although aluminum radiators with their plastic tanks are difficult to repair, with the right approach and using high-quality materials, they can achieve good results. Definitely, you shouldn't give your 900 Euro radiator to a "grandfather" who works with a pick, a shovel and Moment glue, or fill the damage with epoxy glue mixed with aluminum filings, this will only aggravate and increase the cost of subsequent repairs by a professional. Moreover, rare glue can cope well with "radiator" loads, and this has already been proven by many years of practice both in examples with aluminum radiators and in examples with brass (Rice) ... Also, in my opinion, it is inappropriate to repair a radiator, the price of which is at the level of $ 20 (aluminum radiators of the VAZ type), it is easier to replace it with a new one. But both in the first and in the second case, it is categorically not recommended to use sealant additives to antifreeze, which create a slimy coating, and, as it were, tighten the leak, but we talked about this in the article "Folk remedies".

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